Juba – “Care must be taken to ensure that the general elections scheduled for December 2026 do not fuel insecurity and violence.” This is the warning contained in the Limuru Pastoral Statement, signed on August 7, 2026, at the conclusion of a four-day spiritual retreat held in Limuru, Kenya, from August 4 to 7, attended by prominent Christian leaders from South Sudan.
“The dilemma is that, on the one hand, there is an urgent desire to bring the transitional period to an end and establish a legitimately elected government, while on the other there is an equally important responsibility to ensure that the electoral process does not contribute to insecurity, injustice and national fragmentation,” the statement says.
The document highlights several factors that could undermine the holding of free and peaceful elections: widespread insecurity, the presence of armed groups, the proliferation of small arms, the incomplete unification of the security forces, and inadequate legal and institutional guarantees.
These are compounded by other elements of the crisis, including unreliable demographic data and electoral registers, limited civic education, restricted freedom of political and civic expression, inadequate preparations to enable internally displaced persons and refugees to participate in the vote, and the risk of growing ethnic polarization. All these factors, the statement stresses, could turn electoral competition into a new trigger for violence.
The religious leaders also express deep concern over the fate of political detainees who have been arbitrarily arrested.
The Church leaders nevertheless stress that they are “not speaking from despair,” emphasizing the Church’s historical role in accompanying South Sudanese communities through conflict, displacement and political uncertainty.
They pledged to engaging the government, political and politico-military actors, regional bodies and international partners on benchmarks required for a peaceful, credible and inclusive transition.
The religious leaders also pledged to strengthen national healing and reconciliation programmes, establish faith-led mediation teams, expand early-warning mechanisms and promote civic and peace education.
Finally, they called for greater participation of women and young people in peacebuilding, mediation, civic education and decision-making.
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